tlmadden73
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2014
It is a major bummer. This virus has upended our lives in lots of different ways (and btw don't let anyone tell you to "get over it -- it's just a Disney vacation --- it's not that important. It IS important to YOU.). I've said this earlier .. it will be more than just about the masks for kids. To me, at this point, it will be more about the frustration of having to tell them what they CAN'T do around every corner. (Things closed, don't go near people, don't touch that, don't go over there, no you can't use the pool, no you can't use the playground, no you can't see Mickey, etc.).I had scheduled a surprise first trip for the kids for April break, which I then pushed to first week of September but it sounds like I need to throw in the towel and cancel based on these modified experiences. I completely respect and appreciate the rationale behind masks for everyone over age 3, no character meets, etc but I just can’t imagine a first disney trip with kids like this. Also, while I always wear a mask whenever I go out, there’s just no way I can make the kids wear one all day, especially in the Florida heat. My 7yo barely tolerates a mask for 10 mins and my 4yo is even more oppositional, sigh. And while I do hear that the disposable surgical ones are more comfortable, I haven’t seen any that fit kids so they have cloth ones, which feel brutal after a while. I’m so so bummed. What was intended as a surprise “7th birthday” trip will I guess never happen.
For the parents: ALL the things you've heard about Disney being magical for kids - character meals, character meets, indoor shows (like Frozen Sing Along or Disney Junior Dance Party .. none of that may be happening. Even things like getting a birthday button may not be the same. The cast members may be so focused on safety that they won't have the time to notice a kid's button to wish them a happy birthday. So, it may just be not worth going (especially at "normal" prices) until those things are back to normal.
Plus, Disney MAY (who knows) be offering more discounts in the future because the tourism industry is potentially going to be hit hard by people not wanting to travel with this virus.
But Disney and other theme parks may have to have a lot of these safety measures very temporarily or a lot of "normal" (guests with kids, once in a lifetime, once every few years) guests may not bother coming. It will be too depressing and inconvenient.